CMP completes 39-mile transmission line in Somerset County

AUGUSTA, Maine — Central Maine Power Co. on Monday announced the completion of a 39-mile transmission line between Moscow and Benton.

The 115,000-volt line provides a second transmission link to central Somerset County. The $33 million, which project began in October, includes the terminal with breakers and other improvements at the Wyman Hydro Substation in Moscow. It also involved the construction of 450 single-pole, wood structures in an existing corridor through nine towns in Kennebec and Somerset counties.

“This project is yet another example of the company’s investments for a stronger, smarter grid in Maine,” Sara Burns, CMP’s president and CEO, said in a statement. “Residential, commercial, and industrial customers will have more reliable service, and we’re providing better access to markets for the region’s renewable energy industry.”

The transmission line is part of more than $500 million in system improvements begun in 2011.

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The project was approved by the Maine Public Utilities Commission last year through an agreement among multiple interested parties, including the Maine Office of the Public Advocate, the Conservation Law Foundation, Highland Wind LLC, the Penobscot Indian Nation, NextEra Energy and the Maine Renewable Energy Association.